How to Make a Soy Wax Candle

On my previous hubs, I have already shared the steps on how to make tealight and scented candles but with the main component being paraffin wax. In this article, I will share to you some knowledge and tips on soy wax candle making.

Soy wax has so many advantages over the traditional paraffin. One of these is its relatively lower price than the other one. Another reason is it’s made from soybeans, which makes it a renewable source of energy. You will also find that soy wax candles are very easy to clean up.

Because it melts easier than paraffin wax, soy wax candles should be put into candle containers.

Materials

1. Soy wax – this can be bought in solid, flaked and pellet form in hobby shops anywhere
2. Oil-based scents
3. Candle coloring – this can also be bought easily
4. Wick
5. Candle containers – this comes in aluminum and glass forms. This should be dust-free.
6. Glue

Tools

Double boiler

Thermometer

Heat Source

Whisk

Steps in Making a Soy Wax Candle

1. You should determine first how many candles you want to make. A half-pound of wax will make four 2-ounce candles.
2. Place the soy wax into a container. If you bought solid soy wax, you can make the melting faster by slicing it into small pieces.
3. Then, place the container into the pan full of boiling water. Make sure that the boiling is not hard enough that it splashes some of the water into your wax.
4. Soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin wax so you have to be in constant lookout. When the wax begins to melt, clip the thermometer into the side of the container. This will make it easier to monitor it tempearture. Do not let the tip of the thermometer touch the sides and bottom of the container as this will give false high readings.
5. When the wax reaches the temperature of 175F, you can now put the candle dye. Add the dye slowly. The wax’s color changes as it cools down, so you may want to check the final color by putting some of the molten soy wax into a plain white paper. Stir the soy wax constantly to distribute the color evenly.
6. Before adding your scent, make sure that the temperature is around 175F. Lower than this and the scent will not bind to the wax and higher than this will make the oil-based scent evaporate.
7. One of the advantages of soy wax over paraffin is it can hold the scent better. For the half-pound of wax, you will have to add about 0.75 ounce of scent.
8. You are now almost ready to pour the wax. But before doing this, you need to secure the wicks into the center of the candle containers first. You can do this through hot glue from a glue gun.
9. Pour the wax into the containers while making sure to put the wicks at the center. Pour into your desired height. There should be some leftover wax in the container. Do not throw this away yet.
10. Then, wait for 4-5 hours for the candle to completely cool.
11. Upon examination of the candles, you will notice depressions around the wick. This is because wax shrinks as it cools. To remedy this, reheat the remaining wax and then pour.
12. You have now made your first soy wax candle.